Assam violence being monitored: Gogoi

Guwahati: Expressing concern over the violence in the Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD), Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said he was closely monitoring the situation and directed officials to restore normalcy in these districts.

“I have reviewed the situation with my ministers and senior officials and have directed them to bring the situation under control at the earliest,” Gogoi told reporters in Guwahati.

Six persons have died in the violence that erupted on 10 November in the BTAD areas after nearly a three-month lull.

The chief minister also held discussion with 4 Corps General Officer Commanding C. A. Krishnan about the required steps to be initiated to restore law and order. The Army officer informed the chief minister that he would visit BTAD on Friday to get first hand assessment of the prevailing situation.

DGP Jayanta Narayan Choudhury would visit Kokrajhar on Friday to take stock of the law and order situation there and report the matter to him immediately.

CM Gogoi asked the DGP to take strong punitive action against anyone involved in violence in the BTAD areas.

Minister for Industries and Power Pradyut Bordoloi has already left for the violence-hit areas on Thursday and the Group of Ministers constituted for relief and rehabilitation in BTAD areas would also visit soon to take stock of the situation.

Gogoi said the government has been examining reports about the alleged involvement of some leaders in the resumption of violence in BTAD.

Earlier, Assam’s four BTAD districts and Dhubri were affected by widespread violence between Bodos and illegal migrant minorities which left 90 people dead and more than 4.80 lakh homeless in July-August. PTI